Justice for All International and Global Gaze Network Submit Complaint to UN Over Arbitrary Sanctions Enforcement

Intern JPTi
Mar 25, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Apr 28

Justice for All International (Geneva) and Global Gaze Network (Zurich) have filed a formal complaint with the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures on behalf of German entrepreneur Alena Bekker, alleging that Germany’s interpretation and enforcement of EU sanctions has led to discrimination, human rights abuses, and arbitrary criminal prosecutions against her egations

Unjust Sanctions Enforcement: Following EU trade restrictions on Russia and Belarus, Ms. Bekker—who has adhered to all regulatory obligations since 2005—was subjected to administrative and criminal investigations based on misclassified imports of wood products, firelighters, and linen briquettes.

Three Cases of Misclassification:

1. Kindling Wood: Contracts signed before the sanctions deadline were incorrectly deemed invalid.

2. Kerosene-Treated Firelighters: A simple smell test, rather than laboratory analysis, formed the basis for seizure.

3. Linen Briquettes: Fluid botanical materials were arbitrarily recast as “wood,” triggering import bans.

Criminal Investigations & Raids: All three administrative disputes were escalated to criminal charges under Germany’s Foreign Trade and Payments Act, culminating in home and office searches by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office e Summary

This complaint highlights the unintended consequences of broad sectoral sanctions on small and medium-sized businesses—particularly:

Unjust targeting and economic damage to compliant entrepreneurs

Inconsistent application of EU sanctions across member states

Erosion of due process, fair trial rights, and the presumption of innocence l Procedures’ Role & Recommendations

The associations call on UN mandate holders to:

Investigate the role of customs and prosecutors in these cases

Correct classifications and ensure the release of seized goods

Recommend that Germany provide redress and compensation for Ms. Bekker and similarly affected entrepreneurs

Encourage FATF and the EU to integrate human rights safeguards—rule of law, due process, fair trial guarantees, and presumption of innocence—into sanctions frameworks Organizations

Read the full complaint below :